Warren Gatland has named his squad for this year’s Six Nations, that begins when Wales host England on February 6th.
The big news is that Gareth Anscombe receives a call up – here’s the squad, what do you think?
FORWARDS:
Gethin Jenkins
Paul James
Rob Evans
Aaron Jarvis
Samson Lee
Scott Andrews
Richard Hibbard
Kristian Dacey
Scott Baldwin
Alun Wyn Jones
Jake Ball
Bradley Davies
Luke Charteris
Dan Lydiate
James King
Taulupe Faletau
Sam Warburton
Justin Tipuric
BACKS:
Mike Phillips
Rhys Webb
Gareth Davies
Dan Biggar
Rhys Priestland
Gareth Anscombe
Cory Allen
Jamie Roberts
Jonathan Davies
Scott Williams
Tyler Morgan
Hallam Amos
Alex Cuthbert
George North
Liam Williams
Leigh Halfpenny
25 replies on “Wales Squad for Six Nations 2015”
No Hook – not surprised. No Owen Williams – I am surprised, top player!
No Josh Navidi though – who looks really good! And he plays in Wales – what has be done wrong?
I was surprised that Navidi was omitted as well, deserves a call-up I think.
Had to leave Owen Williams out – his statements in the press were naive. He believed re-signing for Leics made no difference to his chances despite Scarlets wanting him. Had to be made clear that unless he is a stellar player he needs to play in Wales or miss out. For this reason I am surprised to see Bradley there but he has been stellar for Wasps.
Navidi – big mistake. The idea of a Navidi/Warburton/Tipuric backrow makes me drool. Would run rings around people and not lack for physicality. Backrow is very competitive though – couldn’t argue that Fale/King are clearly inferior players so it’s a subjective one.
Anscombe – flow in, shows flashes, straight into the squad. That is going to generate headlines, not all positive ones.
Adam Jones time has passed then if the player he is keeping out at Cardiff is called up ahead of him.
Interesting look on the Owen Williams side of things – especially considering Priestland is still picked? He has signed to move out of Wales whilst wanted by Scarlets. Or is the fact he is still playing in Wales right now relevant? Just thinking back to last 6 nations when Flood was dropped pre-Toulouse move because of that.
Priestland’s contract for Bath seems to delib start after RWC. My take on it is that he has basically decided that this is his last WC before trying outside Wales (probably would have been a changing of the guard after anyway). I would have thought he’d have had chats with the management and sorted it out.
Flood was a diff situation I think – announced move when there was time to bed in a replacement – they knew he’d not be available for WC so took the call to drop him asap and get the replacements in and capped.
For me the key difference with Williams is that it was known that Gats wanted him to sign that DC with Scarlets/Wales (he’d have been back in Wales within plenty of time for summer training) and then Williams compounded refusing that that by being quoted as saying he didn’t expect it to make any difference to his selection – almost (unintentionally?) challenging the “play in Wales” idea in the press. He could have gone back this year but chose not to. Add in that he’s not obviously significantly better than Biggar/Priestland/Anscombe and he’s not going to get picked, imo.
All seems to make sense to me based on that I guess.
Would argue Williams is a better play that Priestland by a mile from what I’ve seen of them. Every time I’ve watched Williams he’s looked absolutely brilliant and a genuine possibility for challenging Biggar.
I think is the problem with the “we would rather you stayed in Wales” vs “you must play in Wales”. And is a massive reason why I always defend SL on it, and why I have sympathy with Williams. It is hugely ambiguous and subjective if you pick only top players (whatever that means) from outside Wales. Then again I don’t know what Wiliams was told behind closed doors, based on his comments he must have been given some belief he’d still be picked.
I think the main reason for surprise is the inclusion of Priestland (signed for Bath next season) when he’s not on best form. So even though he has signed for a Premiership club, and is not on form, he still gets picked over a player who is on form and already at a Premiership club. Does this mean Priestland will get picked until the end of the season?
Priestland has been excellent for the Scarlets in the last few matches. Really got that backline fizzing in the way he used to. If they’d had a front row they’d have won some of those matches.
Williams looks good but to me he’s more comparable to Anscombe – had some good performances, some wonky ones. So he’d be a 3rd choice type of punt. Anscombe plays in Wales, will probably be on a DC, so he gets the nod as no arguing about release dates, training approaches, etc.
Brighty, seemed to me though that Gatland hasn’t been paying attention to Williams’ other performances based on his “not playing against scarlets effectively ended conversation about him”. Almost like Owen Williams hasn’t been first choice for the rest of the season….
Seemed to me like Gatland cba watching his other games so was waiting for the Scarlets one and when williams didnt play Gatland didnt want to watch all the leicester games back.
Adam Jones won’t have to pay his chauffeur so much, now!
Navidi over James King any day, not enough cover for No. 8. and Scott Andrews I have no idea about, he was playing lock for blues last week…
Hows Hibbard been playing for Gloucester? I’ve not seen any games
Nor me but at the moment he’s a hooker who can play – a rarity in Wales given the injury situation.
Richard has been fine for Glos – he’ll not let Wales down.
I would say ok for Glos but no more. I expected more from him. Maybe I just had high expectations!
Can’t believe Navidi did not make it considering the performances he has been putting in, Anscombe has not been that impressive IMHO , good idea to include Tyler Morgan in the squad, will be good experience for him & definitely has a huge future in a Welsh Jersey.
P++shand may have played well for the Scarlets in the last 2 Pro12 games but his Wales form is appalling namely….. 2nd half v Aus and whole game v Fiji in the recent AIs and the last 2-3 years since the end of the 2012 6N
When Wales use Biggar (vNZ and Bok. AIs 2014 2013 6N winning season 2013) it is a totally different prospect.
Gatland ALWAYS goes for P++shand over and over again no matter how awful his displays are. The guy is a disaster in every Wales game he plays.
The home crowd has booed this turnip since 2012 but Gats keeps going back to him all the time.
Meanwhile Gatland is clearly under pressure to exclude Owen Williams and instead pick this SH import Anscombe who is on a dual contract and who seemingly qualifies for Wales via a grannie who once drank a pint of SA down the Old Arcade in the 1950s.
Gatland has gone and picked a total mercenary in Anscombe with no real desire to play for Wales he is only in Wales to collect the cash on offer
Hook has never been forgiven for losing the RWC Semi-Final 2011 match. Perhaps he should have signed for Wasps as Gatland has clearly ‘sent him to Coventry’.
Ironic really as in that RWC game Hook was subbed at half time and so was on the bench when Wales lost and he was NOT the person who got himself sent off!
No..that was the Wales captain that was.
But yet again Gatland’s largesse for some sees Roger’s Gimp keep HIS armband at all times no questions asked.
If Biggar or Hibbard get injured Wales are stuffed.
Funny how Gatland’s law does not apply to:-
P++Shand,
Hibbard.
Charteris, .
Phillips (why on earth is he there?)
Jamie Roberts.
Jonathan Davies
Leigh Halfpenny.
Bradley Davies
Paul James
It only applies to Hook and Owen Williams who are clearly better No10s than P++shand.
I don’t watch enough Pro12 to comment on Priestland’s form but he doesn’t half cop some flack on these boards?!
I wonder whether it’s Owen William’s style of play that’s kept him out the squad. He offers quite a pragmatic/tactical approach and the tigers have opted for Burns recently when they have needed to chase the bonus point with Cockers openely stating that Burns is the more creative option….
‘Playing style’ is the excuse Gatland uses against Hook and is used as the reason FOR picking P++shand instead.
Look at the results. P++shand LOSES games for Wales end of discussion.
Thank God Bath have been silly enough to buy the guy I just never want to see him in a Wales shirt ever again because it means we are going to lose every time it happens.
Quite a debate to the Squad of GATS as for Owen W very hard to ignore his talent and performances with tigers and who really cares if he snubbed Wales DC and Scarlets he should have been given opertunity 2015 WC year no doubt in my mind this is cutting your nose off to spite your face GATS
No offence to Priestland or Hook time for new faces in 10 Shirt applaud the choice of Gareth A give the bloke a break kiwi with opertunity welsh qualification and he has taken it a very classy player who fully deserves his spot he had played and been selected in 10/15 at high level in NZ great utillity player evey Squad needs a bloke like this and fully deserves a go for his decision to Persue international pathway.
With regard to ‘Over I’ll come’, he’s has only been in Wales a few months. a few weeks really, has been playing in an awful Loos team and has shades of the last saviour of Welsh rugby that was dual funded by the WRU/Cardiff….. one Iestyn Harries-remember him??
He was a total disaster for Wales. At this stage ‘over I’ll come’ would be too.
‘Over I’ll come’ has NOT done enough in a few games at the Lose to justify being picked ahead of Owen Williams or Hook.
Gatland said the guy needed to settle into Welsh rugby first b 4 getting fast-tracked into the Wales squad.
Come Jan 2015 Gatland picks ‘Over I’ll come’ ahead of Williams and Hook.
If Biggar gets injured we could have had Hook teaming up with his old Ospreys no9 instead we’ll get a money grabbing SH import or P++shand. Disaster looming large on the horizon.
Wales’ opponents just need to take out Biggar and the games are theirs for the taking.
Warburton’s dad summarised the laughable debate about Anscombe well enough for me – “Ball, Amos, Charteris, Cuthbert, J.Davies, Faletau, Jarvis, King, Lydiate, North, none born in Wales, Anscombes welcome!”
If he’s good enough he’s in. I understand that’s a debatable point but it’s much more befitting of a rugby blog to debate his skills and whether he’s good enough for international rugby.
I agree. I also don’t think he’s good enough. In NZ his mistakes were as prominent as his moments of brilliance.
I’m old enough to remember when Wales luxuriated in artistic fly-halves; the modern game is too unforgiving.
I hope Cipriani plays in Cardiff 😉
Cockerill thinks Owen Williams is so brilliant that it is disgusting Gats hasn’t called him up. He’s started their second critical Cup game in two weeks with Freddie Burns.
Adam jones hair bear all best m88 humble guy for many years will be missed in Wales squad great Tighthead in world rugby no nonsense never a backward step for lions or Wales take a bow fantastic career
Bloody marvellous regards taffy Longman down under